PRATT
History
The Pratt surname has two origins: it was a locational name derived from various terms that translate roughly to "meadow", and a name that was sometimes given to people considered skilled practical jokers and tricksters. Our own Pratt history takes us back to 18th century South Carolina, and leads us to Iowa.
Joseph Pratt
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Joseph was born in South Carolina, USA, likely to William and Emma Pratt, though no solid documentation of that has been found. Most of the information we have about Joseph is questionable, at best - many dates offered do not make sense, and most of what is "known" about him comes from the assumption that he was in fact the son of William and Emma, despite a lack of sources. What we do know is that he married Elizabeth Jones in the late 1700s, and the two raised at least one son in Abbeville, South Carolina, though it is believed they had four or five children total. Joseph passed away in 1826, and is buried alongside his wife in Lindsay Cemetery.
Children of Joseph and Elizabeth:
Sources:
Children of Joseph and Elizabeth:
- William Pratt, b. 1798, d. 1864
Sources:
- 1800-1820 Census Records
- South Carolina Marriage Index
- Gravestone
William Pratt
1798 - 1864
William was born and raised in South Carolina, and was a farmer for most of his life. He married Martha Murdock in the early 1820s, and the two raised seven children on their farm. According to his Find A Grave memorial, he was a prominent figure at Little River Church, and is buried in their cemetery.
Children of William and Martha:
Sources:
Children of William and Martha:
- Charles Felix Pratt, b. 1824, d. 1901
- Joseph Pratt, b. 1825, d. 1877
- Mary Elizabeth Pratt, b. 1830, d. 1904
- Sarah Pratt, b. 1832, d. 1909
- Martha Jane Pratt, b. 1834, d. 1881
- Emma Pratt, b. 1836, d. 1916
- James Pratt, b. 1838
Sources:
- 1830-1860 Census Records
- Gravestone
Charles Pratt
1824 - 1901
Charles was born in South Carolina, the first child of William and Martha. Following in his father's footsteps, he became a farmer at an early age. In the 1840s, he married Gabriella Callaham, and the two had nine children. It is this family that takes our Pratt line out of South Carolina and into Iowa; the family first moved to Georgia, and later to Iowa, where they were well-known enough to make it into a book detailing the history of Pottawattamie County, Iowa.
According to their biographies (which were written while they were alive, making them at least somewhat reliable), the Pratt family farmed in Georgia for several years, growing grain, fruit, and cotton, as well as raising animals, and in 1861, Charles enlisted in the volunteer infantry. Charles serves as an interesting example of the divisiveness of Democrats during the civil war - despite considering himself a Democrat and a liberal, he fought on the Confederate side of the war. After the war, the family intended to move to Utah, but instead settled in Iowa, where they continued to farm and mill. Charles also held a number of local positions in Pottawattamie County, including Justice of the Peace (which he had also been in Georgia), president of the Crescent M.P. Society, and prominent member of the Farmers Alliance. Both Charles and Gabriella converted from the Baptist church to Mormonism.
Charles passed away in 1901 and is buried in Crescent cemetery.
Children of Charles and Gabriella:
Sources:
According to their biographies (which were written while they were alive, making them at least somewhat reliable), the Pratt family farmed in Georgia for several years, growing grain, fruit, and cotton, as well as raising animals, and in 1861, Charles enlisted in the volunteer infantry. Charles serves as an interesting example of the divisiveness of Democrats during the civil war - despite considering himself a Democrat and a liberal, he fought on the Confederate side of the war. After the war, the family intended to move to Utah, but instead settled in Iowa, where they continued to farm and mill. Charles also held a number of local positions in Pottawattamie County, including Justice of the Peace (which he had also been in Georgia), president of the Crescent M.P. Society, and prominent member of the Farmers Alliance. Both Charles and Gabriella converted from the Baptist church to Mormonism.
Charles passed away in 1901 and is buried in Crescent cemetery.
Children of Charles and Gabriella:
- Nancy Pratt, b. 1846, d. 1917
- John Pratt, b. 1846, d. 1924
- James Pratt, b. 1849, d. 1934
- Sylvester Pratt, b. 1851, d. 1907
- Martha Pratt, b. 1854, d. 1871
- Emma Pratt, b. 1856, d. 1943
- Phoebe Jane Pratt, b. 1859, d. 1941
- Charles Felix Pratt, b. 1862, d. 1926
- Mary Frances Leona Pratt, b. 1864, d. 1930
Sources:
- 1860-1880 Census Records
- South Carolina Marriage Index
- Land Ownership Records
- Biographical History of Pottawattamie County
Mary Pratt
1864 - 1930
Mary was born in Georgia, the youngest child of Charles and Gabriella. In her adolescence, the family moved to Iowa, and it was there that she met Milton Hough. The two married when she was twenty, and went on to raise six children in Pottawattamie County.
For more information on Mary's family, please visit the Hough page.
Sources:
For more information on Mary's family, please visit the Hough page.
Sources:
- Biographical History of Pottawattamie County
- 1880-1920 Census Records
- Iowa State Census
- Gravestone